The degree of customs corruption and management chaos under the Qing Dynasty's rule was unimaginable to modern people. There was no unified taxation standard for more than two hundred years. Three tax collection systems, including 4% positive tax, valuation taxation and temporary taxation ratio, were in parallel. Which standard was used to collect taxes was entirely determined by how much bribes the merchant ships to the customs officials. Historical records show that a British merchant ship once entered the port. Customs measuring personnel first changed from the bow to the stern. Once bribed, they immediately changed from the front mast to the rear mast. Then they should have collected two thousand taels of tax, but after the owner of the merchant ship bribed, it immediately became only five hundred taels.

Because of this, friends should know why the Wu family is so rich, right? It is also because of this. In addition to Wu Jianzhang's genius in accounting, although he knew that Wu Jianzhang would definitely not be clean in the customs tariff bank, Weng Xincun had a dozen money and grain master checked the accounts for two days and two nights, but he could not find any clues about Wu Jianzhang's embezzlement of tax bank. At the same time, no matter how coercive and tempted Weng Xincun, other officials in the customs yamen refused to give up evidence of Wu Jianzhang's corruption. This is not that Wu Jianzhang was too popular in the customs yamen, but that the rich customs yamen was so dirty that even if a servant was a serious and unclear servant, he was afraid of pulling out the radish and bringing out the mud, so naturally he did not dare to sell Wu Jianzhang easily to bring them all their background.

The evidence of Wu Jianzhang's corruption cannot be found, but the evidence of the old Wu family colluding with foreigners to preach and build a factory was captured in a large number of cases. He witnessed Wu Chaoyue's witnesses to help foreigners preach on the dock. The evidence of Wu Chaoyue's instigation of foreigners to complain everywhere was not found. However, Wu Chaoyue signed a joint venture factory construction contract with British merchant Billy but was easily found in Wu Chaoyue's bedroom. There was also Wu Chaoyue's autograph on the contract in Chinese and English, which was considered as ironclad and could not be refuted.

In view of these two points, Weng Tonghe seized the opportunity to advise his father, suggesting that Weng Xincun first send someone to escort Wu Jianzhang's grandchildren into Beijing, so that the officials of the customs office knew that Wu Jianzhang was dead and did not dare to take chances, so they could easily defeat the corruption crimes that forced them to confess to Wu Jianzhang. Weng Xincun, who is much better than his son, did not know the real plan of his precious son, and felt that Weng Tonghe's suggestions were reasonable and effective, so he quickly decided to arrange for people to escort Wu Jianzhang's grandchildren into Beijing first, completely smashing the luck of other officials in the customs office, and then slowly investigate Wu Jianzhang's corruption crimes.

By the way, Weng Tonghe was quite conscientious, and pointed out that the local officials and servants in Shanghai might not be reliable. He suggested that Weng Xincun send a team of Goshha to lead some local green camp soldiers from Songjiang to escort Wu Jianzhang's grandson and grandson to Beijing, and keep reliable personnel in Shanghai to investigate the case. Weng Xincun felt it was reasonable and agreed immediately, but he did not know that this was his precious son preparing a scapegoat for him, and was preparing to push the blame for the ineffective escort that led to the murder of the prisoners by enemies to the Songjiang Green Camp soldiers.

After a day of hasty preparation, after being imprisoned for more than three days, the grandchildren of the Wu family were finally able to walk out of the dirty woodshed. However, without waiting for Wu Jianzhang and Wu Chaoyue to see the scene outside, they were immediately forced to change into two prison clothes, put on a shackle and a bracelet to rush out of the customs office, and locked up the prison cart that was closely guarded by the green camp soldiers. After receiving the news, the concubine Wu Jianzhang and the butler of the Wu family were crying outside the customs office, but they didn't even have the chance to talk to the grandchildren of the Wu family. Wu Jianzhang could only shout loudly, asking the butler and a few wives who were no longer much older than their grandson to guard the house. Wu Xiaoping, who was waiting for Wu Chaoyue's father, came from Guangdong to take charge of the family affairs. Several concubines and the butler all cried and agreed.

Then, Liu Lichuan appeared in the crowd watching, shouting loudly: "Uncle Shuang, Chaoyue, don't worry, I will take people with you and send you to the capital."

Wu Jianzhang nodded in tears, but the yamen runners under Yuan Zuqi immediately took out a water and fire stick to drive away Liu Lichuan, who had lost his backer. At the same time, Yuan Zuqi was on the scene, and quickly made up his mind and decided to let Zhou Lichun, who had turned against Liu Lichuan, take action, and entangled Liu Lichuan and did not give him the chance to protect the grandparents and grandchildren of the Wu family into Beijing.

At this time, Weng Xincun took his precious son Weng Tonghe and walked out of the customs office and walked directly to Wu Jianzhang, as if very sorry and said to Wu Jianzhang: "Mr. Wu, I have offended you, and the sage order is here. I have to act according to the order. Don't worry, I have already told you that you have escorted you, so that he will take good care of you on the road and will not let you suffer on the road."

He has suffered losses and was deceived, and he dared not believe these so-called Qingliu, who is sweet-mouthed and absent-minded, but Wu Jianzhang still thanked him repeatedly. Weng Tonghe smiled and said, "You don't have to be polite. Zhou Shangshu of the Ministry of Justice is a family friend of my family. I will write a letter to him and ask him to ask the Ministry of Justice to take care of you and treat you."

Wu Jianzhang didn't even dare to say anything this time, and his legs were trembling involuntarily. Weng Tonghe was very satisfied with the intimidation effect, and then smiled and turned his eyes to look at his enemy Wu Chaoyue. However, what disappointed Weng Tonghe was that Wu Chaoyue not only did not look at all afraid, but his eyes were still cold when he looked at him. Weng Tonghe was angry and cursed: "Bastard, I wish you no place to die!"

Of course, Wu Chaoyue did this not to pretend to be cool, nor was it to be confident. It was because Wu Chaoyue knew Weng Tonghe's hypocritical virtues too well and knew that begging for mercy was useless, so he simply became tough to the end. However, Wu Chaoyue still underestimated some of Weng Tonghe's sinister personality. Although he should go to the capital to go out of the city by going to the west gate, and first go to Suzhou to board the boat and then go to the canal to enter Beijing, in order to humiliate the Wu family's grandparents and grandchildren, Weng Tonghe suggested to Weng Xincun, suggesting that the prison car carrying the Wu family's grandparents and grandchildren go out of the city by walking out of the city by going to the neighboring East Gate, and let the workers on the foreign dock outside the east gate see that learning foreign education is the end, and then rush to Suzhou to achieve the effect of alertness.

Of course, Weng Xincun knew that this was the precious son who wanted to make the grandchildren of the Wu family suffer more humiliation, but his son was a son after all. Weng Xincun agreed to Weng Tonghe's request and ordered Goshha, who led the team to escort the grandchildren of the Wu family, to act according to his son's advice. At the repeated invitations of Weng Tonghe and Yuan Zushi, he climbed the East Gate Tower and admired the effect of escorting the grandchildren of the Wu family through the pier to show his presence.

In this way, in full view of everyone, the grandparents and grandchildren of the Wu family, who were once in Shanghai, were taken out of the city. They were locked in a prison car with heavy shackles. The two grandparents and grandchildren were both the same thin. Wu Jianzhang, who was over 60 years old, was still gray and gray. Against the backdrop of the shackles and prison car, they looked extremely shrill and miserable, making several concubines of Wu Jianzhang and the servants of the Wu family unable to help but cry out in pain. The onlookers also made the Shanghai people discuss and keep pointing at the prison car of the Wu family, with many praises and sympathy. Only Weng Tonghe and Yuan Zushi on the city wall were smiling and laughing happily.

After leaving the east gate, the foreign wharf on the Huangpu River. Originally, Wu Chaoyue was hoping that a few foreign friends would come to comfort him. However, what disappointed Wu Chaoyue was that at this moment, not only could there be no foreigner on the foreign wharf, but there was not even a foreign ship flying a foreign flag. Only many dock workers were looking around. What made Wu Chaoyue laugh and cry was that he clearly saw that several dock workers were still drawing crosses on their chests, as if praying for God to bless them to accept Western culture.

A familiar figure appeared in the crowd by the roadside. Zhou Xiuying, who was almost taken advantage of by Wu Chaoyue last time, stood by the roadside with a fish gear. Although her pretty face was still expressionless, Wu Chaoyue clearly saw that her eyes were no longer so cold, and she was still a little sympathy and guilt. After collide with Wu Chaoyue's eyes, Zhou Xiuying pursed her cherry mouth and suddenly nodded to Wu Chaoyue.

"What did she nod to me?" Wu Chaoyue was a little confused for a while, but immediately woke up and said to himself: "Did she mean that my blood book has been successfully delivered to the foreign priest for me?"

Thinking of this, Wu Chaoyue quickly looked around again, looking for foreign friends who should appear, but still found nothing. Wu Chaoyue couldn't help but feel disappointed again and said to himself: "The foreign devils are indeed unreliable. I believe they will help me so hard. I am really naive!"

“Woo————!”

The sudden sound of steam whistle was replaced by the grandparents and grandsons of the Wu family, attracting the attention of everyone around him, making Wu Chaoyue turn his head and follow the sound, but he saw the thick smoke from the Huangpu River rolling. It seemed that the most advanced steam sail hybrid foreign ship of this era was coming to the Shanghai Wharf. Then, before everyone could wake up, the sound of whistle came one after another in the distance, and more thick smoke appeared in everyone's sight.

Wu Jianzhang and Wu Chaoyue were both people who knew goods. They knew that the steamships of this era were mainly used by foreign troops, and there were few commercial steamships. Foreign merchant ships traveling to and from Shanghai Wharf were basically sailboats that rely entirely on wind power. It was the first time that Wu Jianzhang had taken over the Shanghai Customs. They were all shocked. Weng Xincun and Weng Tonghe and his son on the city wall had never seen steamships before. When they heard the sound of the whistle, their faces changed color and shouted: "What is that sound? Why is it so huge?"

"You must not be afraid, the imperial envoy is the sound of the foreigners' fire-breathing iron armored ship." Yuan Zuqi, who had seen steamships several times next to him, comforted him, and then said strangely: "How come so many fire-breathing iron armored ships drove into the Huangpu River? What happened?"

As countless surprised eyes were staring, six paddlewheel steam sails emitting thick smoke and more than a dozen large sailboats appeared in everyone's sight. Six paddlewheel steam boats were warships, two of which were flying American flags, two flying French flags, and the other two flying British rice flags. The remaining dozen large sailboats were all armed merchant ships equipped with artillery, lined up in large shape on the water surface of the Huangpu River outside the east gate of Shanghai. Then another whistle sounded. Six steam boats and more than a dozen armed merchant ships opened the cannon windows on the side of the ship, and pushed hundreds of cannons out of the side of the ship, and the black holes were directly aimed at the east gate of Shanghai.
Chapter completed!